carter



V H; T. CARTER.

Car Truck.

Patented June 23, 1868;

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Letters Patent No. 79,104, dated June 23, 1868 IMPROVEMENT IN OAR-TRUCKS FOR CHANGING GAUGE.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, HENRY T. CARTER, of Portland, county of Cumberland, and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improved Mechanismfor Changing Gauge of Car- Trucks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, making a part of this specification, in which- I i I a Figure 1 represents a plan of my car-truck.-

Figure 2' represents a transverse sectional elevation of my truck, and "table for adjusting same.

Similar letters indicate like parts.

The object of my invention is to produce a car-truck which is adjustable to any desired gauge of road, by' means of an adjusting-platform, hereinafter described. 7

It consists of two'frames, A A, figs. 1 andfi, between which are placed the car-wheels d, d, d", and d',

fig. 1, d and d, fig. 2. These frames are each connected at the endsby means of f lugs, shown at b, b, b;

iand'b, through which are passed strong iron bars or rods. m and m. Theserods are keyed at each end to the lugs, and serve to strengthen and stifien the truck-frame. The four wheels aresecured to two telescopic axles, shown at w x', which m-ay be keyed or not, as desired. In the frames are also the boxes andbearings of the'wh'eeis before mentioned, andit is intended to have "insidc and outside hearings to each wheel,so that my truck will rest upon eight bearings, instead of on four, as ordinarily constructed. The bolster B extends transversely over my truck-frames, in the usual manner, and is provided with a friction-plate, '1 upon its lower surface, whichis constructed with four shoulders, at, a, a, and a, fig. 2. This friction plate rests upon two or more friction-rollers, shown at e and e, fig. 2, which have theirbearings in the frames A A, and receive the entire weight of the car when running, and during adjustment. The upper or car-bolster is bolted to the car,

andrests upon rubber springs, and the centre-pin and socket are constructed in the usual manner.

My table for adjusting car-trucks, shown in fig. 2, consists of two beams, C-C, long enough to 'receivethe entire car, or one truck of same, and are each provided with guard-rails, band It, in addition to the usual rail 0 and o. The beam G is stationary, and secured firmly to the foundation. The beam G' rests upon-trucks or friction-rollers,f andf', and by this means is allowed lateral movement of sufficient distance to accomplish the desired change of gauge. This moving beam C is provided with a set of screws, in, or gears Z, or both, of six-fi cient power to close or open the table witha loaded car upon it.

Now, if a car provided with my trucksis gauged for the broad gauge of fivefeet six inches, and it be:

desired to change the gauge of :the trucks, so that it may be run upon the narrow gauge of four feet eight and a half inches, it is moved down upon my table, (which is placed permanently at the station where the changeof gauge occurs,) and the car-or truck is stopped upon the table. The tread of the wheels will rest upon. the ordinary rails 0 and 0, while the guard-rails k and it will come closely against the inside of the wheels. The pins or keys of the transverse rods 1, 2, 3, and 4, and'of the axles, ifany, are then removed, and the pressure, by means of proper gearing, applied to the beam 0'. The frames and wheels of the trdck will be gradually closed up toward each other, until the shoulders cZ/andrl of the truck-bolster 13' press firmly against the frames.

This will be the desired gauge'of four feet eight and a half inches, and the pins or keys 1, 2, 3, and4being again inserted, the truckis run oii' on to the narrow-gauge road, which leads from one endof the adjusting-table. Should the truck be adjusted to the narrow gauge, and it be desired to change to-thebroader, the car is run'on to the table again, the keys being removed as before, and the screw reversed. The car trucks and wheels are extended until the shoulders at and 01' rest against the outside of the frames A A, as illustrated in the draw ing. The keys being again inserted, the car is moved oii upon the broad gauge, and is ready-forthe road.

I use this friction-platedbolster provided with the four shoulders, instead of the parallel motion, secured by Letters Patent granted me the 14th day cf'Janu-ary A. 18 68. It will be per'c'eivedthat this arrangement secures the bolster B in the centre of the truck at either gauge, the same'as did the parallel motion before men timed, and is much cheaper of construction.

The advantages of my invention ore, that it provides a. cheap and substantial car-truck; adapted to either gauge; and the table, being properly constructed and undercover, will be found to not much surer, especially in icy weather, than the converging rails generally resorted to in changing gr uge.

I do not claim to be the first inventor of combined insideand outside bearings, nor doI claim to be the some of the telescopic axles;'but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv p 1. The four shoulders, d, d, cl", and d, constructed on the bolster B, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of the shoulders (1 d, d, and 02W with the transverse rods, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

.3. The lateral-moving rail 0, with its guardrail h, in combination withthe fixed rail and guard-rail o and ii, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination of the lateral-moving rail 0' and guard-rail h, with their bed 01'' beam, and frictionrollers or trucks, substantially tlS arid for the purposes set forth. v

.HENRY T. CARTER.

Witnesses FRANK W. 'LIBBY, JAS. E. CARTER. 

